Fingernail polish has been, and will continue to be, a popular cosmetic staple. When applying fingernail polish it is desirable not only to have a stable surface to place one's hand for application of the polish, but also to have a means of securely storing and transporting fingernail polish and other implements associated with the treatment and conditioning of the hands and feet. Furthermore, it is desirable to have the fingernail polish bottle in a location that is close to the polish application area to prevent the need for over-reaching and, again, the possibility of tipping and/or spilling of the bottle. Moreover, it is a desirable convenience that both the surface for application and the means for securely holding the bottle are portable. Thus, allowing the user to apply fingernail polish at any opportune location.
Various patents have attempted to address these desires. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,743,500 and 5,909,811 describe bottle holders. Each of these bottle holders is provided with a single bottle holding container to which is attached flexible arms that may be draped over the arm or leg of the user, or laid flat upon a surface. Each of these bottle holders accommodates only a single bottle and neither provides a flat surface upon which a user may rest their hand for fingernail polish application. The '500 patent does provide a ring of “petals” upon which a user may place one finger at a time for application of polish, however, the finger must be raised without any support under the hand causing it to be unstable/movable during polish application. Further, if the “petals” are used, the fingernail is in very close proximity to the bottle making application of the polish difficult and awkward.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,312 describes a nail polish bottle holder that also provides an area for resting of the hand during application of the polish. The device described in the '312 patent is comprised of a flexible foam material incorporating a plurality of notches into which may be inserted one or more bottles. The fact that the '312 device is comprised of foam makes it rather unstable, e.g., bottles may be tipped and the user's hand is not rigidly supported, and less durable than something fabricated of a rigid material such as plastic.
In view of the above, there is a need in the art for a portable nail salon that is able to accommodate and store numerous types/shapes of nail polish bottles, that provides a stable surface for the hand or foot during application of the polish, that places the bottle in close proximity to the hand during application of the polish allowing for non-awkward application of the polish, that is easily transported, and that is durable in construction.